Dionne Warwick is a Hampton Court treat

Dionne Warwick speaks ahead of her appearance at the Hampton Court Palace Festival on June 13

Take one music legend and a stage in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace on a summer’s night and you have the perfect recipe for a great evening’s entertainment.

With a career spanning celebrating more than 50 years in the business, Dionne Warwick is one of the chart’s greats, with hits like Walk on By, Do you know the way to San Jose? and Heartbreaker making her a music icon. The Hampton Court Palace Festival will be welcoming the five-time Grammy Award winner on Friday June 13.

Speaking to What’s On, Ms Warwick said about the festival: “I’m looking forward to having a great time.

“I will be doing the much expected songs and a couple from the CD, Now, and hope all attending will have a wonderful well-rounded evening of me and my music.

“Live performances to me give instant gratification. It’s the smiles I see in the audience, or the arm that goes around a shoulder when one of the songs strikes a meaning, it’s what I love most about live performance.”

Even though Ms Warwick has been so successful in the world of music, she confesses that she doesn’t ‘listen to radio too much’, instead preferring to rely on the CDs of her peers and more specifically, Brazilian music, feeling that today’s music is more geared to younger ears.

She is keen to encourage those wanting to forge a career in music, letting them know that the job takes plenty of dedication and hard work.

Aside from her music, many may not realise that the American vocalist is also passionate about the world around her, taking up a post as a global ambassador for the Food and Agricultural Organistation (FAO) of the UN.

Speaking about her role, she said: “Being an ambassador of the FAO division of the UN is amazing and since this is the division that provides the where-with-all to those countries suffering from lack of food, clean water, and all of the human needs to survive has been most gratifying.

“As I continue in this capacity and see the fruits of my efforts what could be better than that.”

And the teachings of her minister grandfather still stay with her now, as she performs for numerous charities, she is thrilled that her gift of singing can in turn help others.

But what has kept her motivated over the years as she records CD after CD and performs at venues across the world to legions of fans?

The singer added: “I have had a wonderful time being a part of music that has touched so many over the years and I love what I do is the reason I am still running around this world performing.”

Other artists also performing at the festival, which runs from June 11 to June 25, are Jools Holland, the Royal Philharmonic Classical Gala, complete with fireworks and Van Morrison. Eighties singers Rick Astley and Jason Donovan also feature on the festival programme, along with Opera on a Midsummer Night with Deborah Norman, Noah Stewart and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Van Morrison and The Beach Boys complete the festival line-up.

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She has been editorial director of the online and print titles in Surrey and north-east Hampshire since 2007. Marnie previously worked at the BBC as a producer for 5 Live, having moved to national radio from BBC Sussex and Surrey.